These Undefeated Twin Boxing Champions Will Get You Ready For The Ring

Identical twin brothers Jermall and Jermell Charlo continue to ascend the ranks of the sport, with each sibling boasting an undefeated record. Jermall “The Hitman” Charlo is 26-0 with 20 knockouts, while Jermell “The Iron Man” is 30-0 with 15 KOs of his own.

We caught up with the Charlo twins right before Jermall takes on Hugo Centeno Jr. in middleweight action at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Saturday night (April 21, Showtime 9 p.m. ET). Jermell has been training with him as he prepares for his own light middleweight bout on June 9 against Austin Trout—who Jermall coincidentally defeated via a unanimous decision back in May 2016. No pressure, bro.

The secret to the Charlos’ success?

“We work out together every day,” Jermell tells Menshealth.com.

The Charlo twins train together every day.

Amanda Westcott / SHOWTIME

The 27-year-old boxing brothers from Houston train together at their Charlo Brothers Boxing Academy in Sugarland, Texas, turning every workout session into its own mini competition.

Adds Jermall: “We go full throttle with each other every step. My twin brother is there to monitor everything I'm doing and I'm there to monitor everything he's doing. Through the whole workout, we're competing with each other.”

The twins keep up their training together during fight camp.

Amanda Westcott / SHOWTIME

Unsurprisingly, the Charlo brothers' top tip for those interested in breaking into the sport is to build a relationship with a partner and make training a daily competition, just as they do. To give you and your sparring partner a jumpstart into the Sweet Science, the twins shared a straightforward five part partner workout that will get you and your pal in shape to exchange combos in no time.

The Workout

Jumping Rope

3 rounds

3 minutes skipping, 30 seconds rest

A boxer who can’t jump rope is sort of like a carpenter who can’t hammer a nail. As simple as it might look, skipping takes time and practice to get to the level where it’s embedded into your muscle memory.

Jermell recommends setting a timer to three minutes, which is one professional boxing round, and then jumping rope side-by-side with your buddy for three rounds with a 30-second rest in between each.

If you’re coordination is slightly off, he says “double up your rounds” and do it in front of a mirror until you get it right. Use the Charlo twins’ jump-rope routine as motivation—you might develop those fast feet eventually.

Max Out On Burpees

3 minute round, as many reps as possible (AMRAP)

The ‘no pain, no gain’ adage certainly applies to burpees, which give boxers a full body workout and the cardio they crave. The Charlos recommend getting side-by-side with your partner and doing as many as you can for a three-minute round.

Check out this quick video tutorial if you're unfamiliar with the full body, fat-burning workout move that is the burpee.

Trust us — having your partner struggling and sweating alongside you can only help to win the burpee battle.

Shadowboxing

3 rounds

3 minutes boxing, 30 seconds rest

Sure, the temptation to get into the ring and spar with your friend right away might be strong, but the Charlo twins strongly advise getting the fundamentals squared away first. “Wait three months until sparring,” Jermall says. “You have to have defense, you have to have your jab, you have to know what you’re doing,” adds Jermell.

The brothers recommend shadowboxing side-by-side in front of a mirror, working on your stance, defense and pumping that jab for three minute rounds. Perform three rounds at a time, with a 30-second break in between each.

When you get comfortable enough, Jermell says you and your partner should grab some light free weights — say three pounds in each hand — and use those to shadowbox. “Extending your punches with some weights in your hand will make you a faster puncher,” he says.

His twin also recommends shadowboxing in the pool, with you and your friend each taking up one lane or one side and throwing that jab, cross, and uppercut. “The faster you try to move in the water,” Jermall says, “the faster you'll move when you're out of the water.”

Heavy Bag Work

3 minute round

After jumping rope, hitting burpees, and shadowboxing for three rounds together, have your partner hold one side of the heavy bag to keep it steady while you pound it with jabs, crosses and hooks. Do that for one round—just make sure your hands are wrapped first before throwing on some gloves. Then let your partner have a go while you hold.

As you both gain experience and become more comfortable with your stance and punching speed, you can take turns slipping on some boxing mitts and perfecting your hand-eye coordination even further. While you're holding the mitts you'll get to practice tempo and focus on your stance, too, so you're never taking a break.

The speed bag might be visual eye candy for boxing beginners, but the Charlos say it’s not as much of a necessity as the heavy bag. So focus your attention on the bigger target, and pound away.

Running And Bicycling

2-8 miles

It’s all in the legs for boxers. Strong legs help fighters drive their punching power and give them the endurance and stamina needed to throw hands for multiple rounds.

The Charlos say they run eight miles together regularly and sometimes bike the same distance to mix things up. Rookie boxers shouldn’t aim to log those miles all the time, but a running or biking regimen for your legs and overall stamina is a must. Start with a shorter two mile run, and knock it out with your partner before or after hitting the mat for your boxing work.

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Men's Health participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.